1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of electroplating apparatus, more particularly, electroplating anode structures.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The pumping of electrolyte through a perforated partition during electrolytic processing has been used in the art for various purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,792,197, issued Feb. 10, 1931, discloses the forcing of electrolyte through holes in an article being plated in order to assure deposition of plated material on the walls of the holes. In addition, in an electrolyte metal extraction process (U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,568, issued Dec. 16, 1969) a solution, including the metal to be extracted, was pumped through holes in a partition in order to regulate the flow of the solution across the anodes and cathodes in order to produce the desired fluid flow pattern in the anode-cathode area. In this extraction method both the anodes and cathodes are situated on the same side of the partition.
However, none of this art contemplates the use of a perforated partition to produce uniform flow of fresh electroplating solution form the anode to the cathode region of an electroplating apparatus.